Restaurant Brands International Inc. and Luke Family of Brands ("Luke") have reached an agreement to further develop the TIM HORTONS® brand in Indiana. The agreement will make Luke the exclusive TIM HORTONS® Area Representative and Developer in Indianapolis and Lafayette, responsible for owning and operating restaurants, managing the market and sourcing local entrepreneurs to develop restaurants, creating thousands of jobs in the state of Indiana.

"The Area Representative and Developer model is critical to our strategy of bringing TIM HORTONS® to the world," said Daniel Schwartz, CEO of Restaurant Brands International. "We are confident that the Luke team will strongly position the TIM HORTONS® brand for success in the short- and long-term."

"We're excited about coming to Indianapolis and Lafayette to grow the iconic TIM HORTONS® brand," said Elías Díaz Sesé, President of TIM HORTONS®. "Given our strong presence in the Columbus area and aggressive development plans in neighboring Cincinnati, the Indiana market is a prime growth opportunity for our continued expansion in the U.S."

"We have an extensive portfolio of brands and diversified holdings, and we believe that developing the TIM HORTONS® brand in our home state of Indiana is a very compelling franchise opportunity," said Tom Collins II, President of Luke Family of Brands. "We look forward to serving the highest quality coffee, baked goods, and food offerings to the people of Indianapolis and Lafayette."

This agreement is the most recent by RBI in its plans to grow TIM HORTONS® in the U.S. In January 2016, RBI announced an agreement for the Columbus area and in October 2015 established an Area Representative and Developer Agreement for the Cincinnati area.

TIM HORTONS® opened its first restaurant in the U.S. in 1984. Today, the brand maintains a strong base of restaurants across Canada, the U.S. and the Middle East.